Ralph Munro takes us to visit Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood. This classic estate features a vast collection of rhododendrons, plant collections and the beautiful artful design of the grounds completed by architect Thomas Church.
Our state has some beautiful gardens: Ohme Gardens up in Wenatchee and the beautiful Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, Seattle’s Arboretum, Wright Park in Tacoma…
But one of the finest is Lakewold Gardens, right here, just south of Tacoma on Gravelly Lake.
Developed by three benevolent families over the last hundred years using the finest landscape architects in the world, this beautiful garden is just a tranquil, incredible place to visit.
You walk through it and you just wonder, how could there be this much beauty and flowers and joy and good smells. Everything you sought after for tranquility and relaxing…
It’s close to the freeway, close to Fort Lewis, but hidden from many people. They don’t know about it. It’s a great place to visit.
I think that Lakewold Gardens is a very, very special place, and it’s most certainly one of my favorite places.
To view the video of Ralph Munro at Lakewold Gardens, visit My Favorite Places: Lakewold Gardens – TVW. The Emmy-nominated “My Favorite Places” can be seen every Sunday at 9am on TVW on Comcast channel 320 in most of the Puget Sound region.
MORE INFORMATION
Lakewold Gardens started as a summer retreat on Gravelly Lake. Its gardens were refurbished over the years, including designs by noted landscape architect Thomas Church. The 10-acre garden estate with its Georgian-style mansion includes extensive collections of rhododendrons and Japanese maples. It also offers rose and alpine gardens, fern grottos, and is home to many rare and unusual plants.
Admission is $8 for seniors and military, $10 general, $5 for youth and children 5 and under are free.
Lakewold Gardens offers self-guided and group tours. “The Shop” at Lakewold’s 1918 carriage house has cards, prints and gifts from local artists, as well as unusual perennials and select garden tools.
Lakewold’s library is a peaceful retreat on the first floor of the estate house with over 1,000 volumes, including everything from horticultural encyclopedias to books on garden design, flowers, plants and the trees of the Pacific Northwest.
For hours, directions and more information about Lakewold Gardens, visit lakewoldgardens.org
TVW is local programming offering coverage of Washington State government, politics and public policy. TVW also offers “My Favorite Places” with Ralph Munro, former Secretary of State. In these video diaries, Munro travels through some of Washington’s most iconic and interesting places. Videos of Ralph Munro’s favorite places can be found at My Favorite Places.
